Adventures in Adobada

El Tizoncito invented the taco al pastor in 1966 by exchanging the lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants for marinated pork shoulder on a tortilla. Blame the half century since its inception, but these tacos regrettably don't hold a candle to Baja's succulent adobada tacos served on fresh masa tortillas.

A street cart with no name slings dope pork in the red light district.

Tijuana’s so-called “tolerance zone” has been canonized as a post-topian hive of lechers, dope fiends, harlots, swindlers, and godforsaken gringos — and all for good reason. The infamous red light district is Biff Tannen’s alternate ...

MXN establishes an indulgent baseline for classic San Diego-Mex cuisine

Before we head south to navigate the late night street carts and hole-in-the-wall taqueros of Tijuana, let’s check in at one of our most widespread (with at least 14 locations countywide) Diego-Mex institutions: MXN. There ...

In deference to the spirit of Yuletide cheer, let’s kick off our inquiry into the mesmerizing porcine monument known interchangeably as adobada and al pastor with a success story. Tacos El Paisa (2494 Imperial Avenue, ...

If you like bacon, you'll love its sophisticated, eccentric uncle, adobada.

While glistening towers of adobada are ubiquitous in the streets of Tijuana, San Diego’s bouquet of badass ‘bada is limited. Adobada (“marinated”) is better known beyond borderland as al pastor (“shepherd style”), a nod to ...